Internal combustion engine



March 23, 1937. G. R. RICH INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed July 3, 1935 'INI 9 A w \7 `n,

Patented Mar. 23, 1937 UNITED STIES `."INITERN'AL i COMBUSTIN ENGINE .`George`R.Rh,' Battle 'Creek-Mich.

plieationlly, 1935, Serial No. 29,599

..3 Claims.

This `invention relates to internal lcombustion engines and more particularly to* means ffor f cooliing the valves thereof.

One ofthe objects 'o'f the inventionisfto provi'de novel cooling means for the exhaust valves. "Itis `well known'that -theihotrgases yinv `passingaround unseated exhaust `valves fheat up l"the `valves fto such av high degree-of temperature thatf'frequently pre-ignition v`occurs.

A great many attempts 4:have been made '-to remedy this defect, with little or no success. "In accordance withfthetpresent invention, I provide a clearance space between the tops of the exhaust valves and the lower face of the usual water jacket, which clearance space, when a valve is lifted, is very slight, thereby permitting scarcely any of the hot gas to nd its way over the tops of the exhaust valves while discharging from the cylinder.

The invention further consists in a valve having an upstanding flange or other projection, extending up from the top of the valve head and arranged to enter a water cooled pocket in the cylinder head, thereby practically isolating the top of the valve head from the hot gases and at the same time permitting heat to be absorbed from the valve. The bottom wall of the water jacketed cylinder head, being relatively cool, it absorbs heat from both sides of the flange on the valve and, as a result, the valve is kept relatively cool.

The invention further consists of the several novel features of construction,.arrangement and combination of parts, hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawing accompanying this specication, in which:-

Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal section, through a fragment of a cylinder block and head of an internal combustion engine, illustrating a simple embodiment of the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a cross section, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1 showing the exhaust valve in closed position;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the exhaust valve employed in the engine.

5 Referring to said drawing, which is merely illustrative of one embodiment of the invention applied to one cylinder of an internal combustion engine, the reference character 5 designates a fragment of a cylinder block, which contains 55 the cylinder I1, and 6 designates the cylinder (CLN3-#177) .head which is bolted thereto .in the :customary manner, as is well understood.

Infthe top=walll4 of the 'cylinder block is an rinlet port R1 andan r exhaust "port all, irespectively, .controlled byYan Plnlet valve i3 land an exhaust valve i Il), thef-stems f-ll, tI9.Jof awhichtare guided in :valvergui-des ll, 2, s 'is customary.`

'.llre cylinderfihea'dY .formedwithlawaterijacket I3, the bottom wall of whichshasfaraised partll' is `spaced fabove athe :top iwal] M of the cylinder head to provide a passageway itt :between Athe cylinder a l'l and the :inlet Land exhaust ports 1, 8, through which the combustible mixture is conducted from the inlet port to the cylinder and the burnt gases are conducted from the cyl- 15 inder to the exhaust port.

The valve head 20, of the inlet valve 9, has a tapered face that seats upon a tapered seat around the inlet port l, and the bottom wall l5 of the cylinder head is dished upwardly, as at 2l, 20 to provide a recess into which a head of the inlet valve is moved when fully opened, thereby leaving a free space below the bottom wall of the cylinder head for the passage of the combustible mixture to the cylinder.

The Valve head 22 of the exhaust valve I0 has a tapered face that seats on a tapered seat around the exhaust port 8, and extending up from the margin of the valve head 22 is an upstanding annular ange 23 that serves to conduct heat away 30 from the valve.

Above the exhaust valve, the bottom wall I 5 of the cylinder head is formed with an annular pocket 24, which is co-axially disposed with `re spect to the axis of the exhaust valve and is 35 adapted to receive the annular flange 23 thereof when unseated. The pocket 24 may be formed by casting the bottom wall l5 around the pocket and, as shown, the pocket is contained between outer and inner annular upstanding walls 25, 26 40 connected at their upper ends by a horizontal annular wall 2l. A circular wall 28 at the lower end of the inner annular wall 26 completes the wall construction around the pocket. Slight clearance spaces are left between the top of the 4,5 valve head (when lifted) and lower face of the wall 28 and between the flange 23 and adjacent faces of the upstanding walls 25, 26.

As is well understood, water is circulated through the water jacket of the engine and the lower wall of the water jacket is kept relatively cool, Ignition of the combustible charge for any cylinder takes place while both valves are closed, and because the space over the top of the exhaust valve is closed by the nange 23 entering the pocket 55 24, the hot burning gases do not readily reach the top of the valve head.

When the exhaust valve is lifted, the annular flange 23 thereof enters the pocket 24 where it is exposed on both sides to the relatively cool walls 25, 26 of the water jacket, and heat radiating from the iiange is absorbed by the relatively cool Walls and the water contained in the Water jacket. Heat radiating from the top of the valve head is absorbed by the wall 28 and the Water in the Water jacket.

From the above it is apparent that when the exhaust valve is lifted practically none of the hot burning gases come in contact with the top of the valve head and that much of the heat developed in the valve is absorbed through the ilange 23 by the surrounding walls of the Water jacket.

The invention is applicable to internal combustion engines of all kinds employing poppet valves, such as automobile motors, truck motors, airplane motors, and the like.

More or less variation of the exact details of construction is possible Without departing from the spirit of this invention. I desire, therefore, not to limit myself to the exact form of the construction shown and described, but intend, in the following claims, to point out all of the invention disclosed herein.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Cooling means for valves of internal combustion engines, comprising in combination, a cylinder block having therein a cylinder and a Valve opening, a water jacketed cylinder head having a bottom wall providing a passage between the valve opening and cylinder, said bottom Wall having a pocket on its lower side, and a valve for controlling said valve opening and guided in the cylinder block, the valve having an upstanding part projecting above the top of its head and arranged toI enter said pocket when the valve is unseated.

2. Cooling means for the exhaust valves of internal combustion engines, comprising in combination, a cylinder block having therein a cylinder and a Valve opening, a water jacketed head having a bottom wall spaced, in part, from the top of the cylinder block to provide a passageway between the valve opening and cylinder, said bottom wall having an annular pocket on its lower side, and an exhaust valve for controlling said valve opening and guided in the cylinder block, the valve having an upstanding annular flange projecting up from the top of its head and arranged to enter said pocket when the valve is unseated.

3. Cooling means for the exhaust valves of internal combustion engines, comprising a water jacket having a pocket on one side and a valve having a part projecting above its head and arranged to enter said pocket when the valve is unseated.

GEORGE R. RICH. 

